Every death in the House of the Dragon season 3 finale, explained

House of the Dragon season 3 has been full of big deaths, and there are even more in the season 3 finale. 

The third season of House of the Dragon opened with the terrible death of Jacaerys Velaryon (Harry Collett) at the Battle of the Gullet. Shortly after, Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) took King’s Landing and killed Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans). Later, we said goodbye to Ser Luthor Largent (Tom Cullen) in King’s Landing. Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) met his end at the Butcher’s Ball. 

All that death and destruction led us to the House of the Dragon season 3 finale, where we said goodbye to a handful of key characters. This is one of the bloodiest episodes in the show’s history. 

There are spoilers ahead for the House of the Dragon season 3 finale. I shared all the major deaths from the battle and explained how they happened and what it means for the future. 

Ormund Hightower 

Ormund Hightower (James Norton) has been poking the dragon for the entire third season. Finally, he met his match in the First Battle of Tumbleton in Ser Roderick Dustin (Tommy Flanagan).

During the battle, Ormund spends most of his time trying to find Ulf White (Tom Bennett), who is drunk and passed out on the toilet, to take Silverwing, switch sides, and attack Rhaenyra’s forces. Eventually, he does just that, but shortly after, Roddy the Ruin finds him. 

Roddy the Ruin led his Winter Wolves into Tumbleton during the first charge of the battle. After fighting their way through, Roddy finds Ormund on the walls. The pair get into an epic, bloody fight that ends with Ormund severely wounded thanks to a dagger to the butt from Roddy. 

Just when it looks like Roddy is going to finish him off, Ulf flies by on Silverwing, who torches them in dragon fire. 

After the battle ends, Ormund’s body is found.

Ultimately, the show did a decent job with Ormund’s death. In Fire & Blood, he also falls in a duel with Roddy the Ruin in the First Battle of Tumbleton. 

Of all the deaths we saw in this episode, and perhaps this season, Ormund’s death is likely the most important. There’s no doubt that Ormund is a skilled, strategic thinker and leader, despite his quirks. He kept his army and men organized just long enough to hold out in Tumbleton. Unfortunately, without Ormund, the Hightower force is missing a strong, charismatic, and smart leader. It’s all about to go to hell for his forces and those who were loyal to him after this battle. 

In some ways, they were victorious because they kept control of the city, but it really feels like a loss when you consider what it means to the story moving forward. 

Roderick Dustin 

If there was one character who was actually happy to go out in a blaze of glory this season, it was Roderick Dustin. Roddy the Ruin and his Winter Wolves have been an incredibly impactful force for Rhaenyra. After linking up with the rivermen during the Battle by the Lakeshore, which was not shown in the House of the Dragon, Roddy hunted Criston Cole and his small band of Greens down at the Butcher’s Ball before continuing on to Tumbleton. 

In the battle, Roddy leads the siege of Tumbleton. The Winter Wolves run through the field and storm the castle, and Roddy is one of the first people over the wall. As mentioned, he stays alive just long enough to bring the fight to Ormund on the castle walls. 

Early in their duel, it looks like Roddy is going to win easily and kill Ormund, but then Ormund stabs him in the torso all the way through and cuts off Roddy’s arm. A lesser warrior would have given up, but Roddy takes advantage of Ormund gagging after getting sprayed in the face with blood. Roddy stabs him in the butt and is ready to kill Ormund right up until the moment that Ulf White and Silverwing fly by the wall. Silverwing hits them with a blast of fire, which Roddy welcomes with an open arm. 

That’s the last we see of Roddy in the series. Overall, I enjoyed my time with Roddy and the Winter Wolves. I would have loved to see some of the other battles and skirmishes they are a part of in Fire & Blood. 

Helaena Targaryen 

Heading into the finale, I was back and forth on if this would actually be the end for Helaena Targaryen (Phia Saban). They were setting up her death all season long, although it was quite different on screen than how it plays out in Fire & Blood. 

In House of the Dragon, Helaena has been struggling with basically everything that comes with being a royal, playing this awful game of war, and the death of her son, Prince Jaehaerys Targaryen, in season 2. She yearns for a simple life, not one as a captive in the Red Keep. 

She’s also been confronted with terrible dreams that reveal how bleak the future is for her. In season 3, we see some of these visions, including the pale mare, which is an omen for death in this story; Helaena having her son, Maelor; the storming of the dragon pit; and the winds of winter. 

In the finale, Helaena finishes the tapestry that she’s been working on and then jumps from an open window in the Red Keep. She dies by suicide. Rhaenyra finds her body shortly after. 

Somewhere near Harrenhal, Alicent sees butterflies flying away. Remember, earlier in the season, Helaena was fascinated by the caterpillar. There’s a lot of symbolism here. 

There are some key differences in the circumstances leading up to Helaena’s death in the series vs. Fire & Blood. In the series, it seems like the show is trying to show that the dreams, coupled with the reality that she is a prisoner who is being force-fed, are what led Helaena to making this choice. 

It’s always uncomfortable writing about sensitive subjects like this because I don’t like to imply that those were the reasons that would lead someone to such a choice. In the book, Helaena is deeply depressed after the death of her son, which we saw back in season 2, but she also has another son, Maelor, who is secretly taken from the Red Keep. Rhaenyra has a bounty on his head for someone who returns the Prince. Well, when Maelor is spotted, a crowd forms. In the chaos, the boy is killed by the people who are trying to take him to claim the bounty. 

When Helaena learns this, it’s speculated that the grief of Maelor’s death and everything else leads her to make the choices that she makes. Others believe that Rhaenyra actually had Helaena murdered. It’s a whole thing, and that could happen in the future. 

The show is taking some more liberties with Helaena’s dreams and unwillingness to participate in the future that lies before her. As we see, Helaena finished the tapestry, which shows Rhaenyra on the Iron Throne with blood and fire all around her. 

High Septon

The High Septon’s death is one of the most shocking moments of the House of the Dragon season 3 finale. 

After Rhaenyra learns that Aegon has emerged from the dead and his supporters are claiming that he was resurrected by the gods, Rhaenyra has a plan. She orders Alyn of Hull (Abubakar Salim) to escort her and Prince Joffrey to the Great Sept of Baelor. There, she orders the High Septon (Simon Chandler), who rebuked her when she took King’s Landing earlier this season, to anoint her as queen. 

The High Septon refuses, and Rhaenyra, who is clearly losing her grip, orders Alyn to kill him. At first, Alyn seems a little skeptical, but Rhaenyra reminds him that he has been blessed by more important gods, the Gods of Old Valyria. He kills the High Septon. 

Then, Rhaenyra goes out to meet the people, who have gathered for an announcement. Her plan was for the High Septon to anoint her in front of the people, but with him dead, she takes another route. She gives a rambling speech about the past, her father, dragons, and A Song of Ice and Fire. Then, she proclaims herself as the Prince That Was Promised. 

Kat 

Kat (Ellora Torchia), Hugh Hammer’s wife, has been in Tumbleton all season. Her brother was killed by Daeron at the orders of Ormund. Hugh sneaks into Tumbleton to break Kat out of the city, but she refuses. 

When the battle breaks out, Hugh and Vermithor abandon their post in King’s Landing, protecting against Aegon and Sunfyre and Aemond and Vhagar. He sneaks into the city looking for Kat, but he can’t find her. 

When the battle begins to come to an end, Hugh finds Kat’s body among the rubble. She was killed in the battle. 

Does Daeron Targaryen die in the House of the Dragon season 3 finale?

There’s only one character whose fate is left uncertain after the House of the Dragon season 3 finale, and that’s Daeron Targaryen. Daeron was planning to head into the battle with Tessarion when it looks like the Greens are about to be wiped out. Gwayne Hightower steps in to stop him, but then they see Ulf White wiping out the Blacks with Silverwing. They watch in horror as Ulf starts burning down the city, as well. 

In the chaos of buildings catching fire and collapsing, Gwayne gets caught. When he comes to, Daeron is nowhere to be seen. We don’t know if he and Tessarion live or die. 

Ultimately, I don’t think Daeron was killed in the First Battle of Tumbleton. Heading into the battle, I thought Daeron might be in jeopardy because I know how Daeron’s journey ends in Fire & Blood. I was unsure if House of the Dragon was going to smash the two battles of Tumbleton together, but clearly, that was not the case. 

We’ll likely find out Daeron’s fate long before House of the Dragon season 4, thanks to how the internet works, eagle-eyed fans, and all that. 

Those are all the major deaths from the House of the Dragon season 3 finale! It’s far from the last big deaths we’ll see in this series, though that’s for another time.

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